FUTURE ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2575, 9 April 1877, Page 3

FUTURE ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

---(FEO3I NATETEE.) : X)r Petertnaun has sent'us a long -'letter' on the English Arctic which he has addressed to the. presidftn'fc of the Geographical . Society. ,' DrVPetermann says he has made himself acquainted with the. history of every Arctic and Antarctic expedition that has ever been undertaken, and it appears to him " there never was a pore able and herqic expedition fclian that pf Captain Nares. Captain Nares' expedition may be said to. have ' finished/ as

it were, a great portion, say oue-third of the Arctic regions From Smith Sound to Behring Strait, the region pf the Palcooerystie Sea, our knowledge is entirely due to British enterprise and perseverance." Petormanu thinks Sir George Nares has exploded tho fallacy of the continuous navigability of the Smith Sound route, and that it required the greatest moral courage to return with results diametrically opposed to what wasexpected.. He thinks that had*he been able to stay another winter and gone round to East Greenland, he would also have "finished" the pole. Petermann thinks it has been a triumph of seamanship that the commander has been able to bring back the two ships safe and sound, and that 'if our "enlightened and liberal Government remains true to the English way of doing things, in a complete way, and not by half-measures, it is to be hoped that these vessels will once more be sent | out by a more promising route." He then refers to tbe six routes to the pole, advocating the Uoraya Zemlya and the East Greenland routes. He ; believes there is a great open sea all along Northern Siberia, and states that Prof. Nordensjold intends inlß7B to sail right across from Norway to Behring Strait. Petermann believes thatahigh latitude could easily be obtained along the west coasfcr: of: Franz' Josef Land, and maintains that no proper attempt has been made since Parry's journey in 1827 to push north beyond Spitzbergen; But of all the routes that by East Greenland is the one which he advocates most strongly;. He maintains that throughout the summer the East Greenland coast i& almost" free from ice, and even in winter there is a strong.outward drift. He firmly believes that an expedition, like that wliicb. has just returned, would have no difficulty ,in sailing direct north, crossing the pole, and coming out at Behring Strait. These views are; based on the observations of: the whaling captain, David Gray, arid on.thejknown drift of. the Polar currents. The wellestablished current by the Smith Sound route brings down-* much. ice,-,, but much more of. the PalsDocrystic ice must escape by the wide opening between East Greenland and Spitzbergen. The ice-drift:must leave an open space behind* and there isi therefore; good>reason to believe that in the Polar'; region, will ;be found an open sea*. -Petfermann is convinced that-Sir Gi Nkr es', with the Alert' arid ■ Discovery, could /steam! tight to the pole by this route, 'probably in one season. He thinks, it pipssible, moreover, that East Greenland' ; arid Franz-Josef Land may.approach each'r.pther towards .the pple, and still maintains th& prolongation of Greenland across to,Behring Strait, in, howevei'. it appears to. vs s a. somewhat modified and less objectionable form.v:He considers the central region to be:divided into two nearly equal'areas; of iland or islands, the one extending from the shore of East Greenland in about 20de£. W. long. over. Baffin's Bay, Parry Island, arid Pomt F Burrow,: Behring Strait and CapVYakani-in'about !79.deg. E: long.;; the*bther-h>TFtTie'nce.aU'alp't|g-fHe Siberian Coast, over Frarz-tTbisef J liaSd, to Spitz- ; bergen, to East, 'Gfi'eenlarid. These r .twP regions are in all respects distinct. 'In the two.formeri or western^ the laricl^Tevails, in.;the latter, sea. "It-is not at all i unlikely, Vi Petermann states, " ; thatEskiimos - wIIIt yet: be found right-, under the North Pole." : A Swedish andvsa Dutch expedition have, he assures.; us,-been decided on; He-has no hope of. anything being done/meantime, 1 to 1 carry outjWeyprecht's sclifemei . The mass Pf data colected by various expeditions! has not yet -beeii half; forked out. 'He still ■maintains, "It. might be ■ done, and England ought tb dp it.". ... ..'..,".'..:"*"'":.-